Evan Johns

The first cut on Rockit Fuel Only sets the stage for the next 43 minutes -- a big blast of raunchy guitar, a lean but potent rhythm section, and a cranked-up rockabilly/blues attached to a lyric about ill-tempered parents and fun in the backseat. In short, it's just what you'd expect from an Evan Johns album, and that's not a bad thing at all; Rockit Fuel Only sounds like the musical equivalent of a big, greasy cheeseburger, something that belongs in every decent bar and you wouldn't want it any other way. Of course, Rockit Fuel Only does boast a little more polish than Johns' earlier sides, and occasionally he goes so far as to overdub a piano, mandolin, or autoharp on a few cuts, and he even slows things down a few notches for the sentimental "Prove It to Each Other," the mostly-acoustic "In the Groove," and the hurtin' "You Always Go." But Johns' craggy vocals make this 100-proof roadhouse rock even when he's in a relatively mellow mood, and it's never too long before he kicks things back into overdrive on fourth-gear rockers like "Back in the Backseat," "Sugary Action," and the title cut. Johns and his H-Bombs kick it out in style on this album, and, besides, any 36-year-old who can cover Ronnie Allen's "Juvenile Delinquent" and sound convincing must be doing something right. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide